The present invention relates to bedding used in correctional institutions, hospitals and the like, and, more particularly, to foam filled, plastic covered bedding for use as mattresses and pillows.
Various governmental and private institutions, such as jails, prisons, and hospitals, need to provide bedding to large numbers of persons simultaneously. This bedding typically must include a mattress and a pillow in order to provide proper support for the human body and head during rest. Previously, a wide variety of materials and assemblies have been used for this purpose, typically involving a fabric covering for the mattress and a fabric pillow case. The mattress and pillow have been formed from a variety of materials, but also typically involving a fabric covering sewn togther at its seams.
Such arrangements have been satisfactory for many purposes, but do have certain disadvantages. When it is necessary to routinely clean and sanitize the bedding, the mattress cover and pillow case must be removed, separately washed, dried and then separately reinstalled. Since this process may take some time, days even in large institutions, additional mattress covers and pillow cases are typically installed during the interim, and the former items are cyclically placed into storage/inventory until the next cleaning. Since the fabrics used are often porous, if a fluid is spilled onto or applied to the mattress cover or pillow case, the fluid may penetrate to the underlying mattress or pillow, and that item may additionally need to be cleaned, sanitized (if possible) or replaced entirely, often at relatively high cost. Thus, the cyclical cleaning process can be labor intensive, slow and expensive, requiring a relatively high volume of components and stored inventory.
Also, some prior bedding materials have been particularly susceptible to interior contamination from insects, fluid (blood, water, oil and the like) borne bacteria and virus and/or destructive fluids. Various methods of reducing that risk have been suggested, but often involving expensive and/or elaborate material, construction arrangements and ventilation methods.
Further, since over time and continual use bedding does tend to wear out or become irreparably contaminated or destroyed, many institutions must keep a replacement supply of bedding and bedding coverings in inventory as well. Unfortunately, many prior bedding arrangements are relatively expensive and thick, requiring considerable storage space for this inventory, and bulky, being more difficult to handle.
Moreover, bedding used in correctional institutions is faced with additional, special difficulties. Previously, some inmates have modified pillows and similar severable bedding elements into hard, blunt weapons capable of killing and/or as shields and like accessories to violent action. Also, bedding seams have been opened by severing the threads which hold the fabric together in order to hide contraband inside the bedding. The seams can then be lightly closed by tape and other means to render the contraband easily accessible to the inmate, but not easily or quickly detectable by guards and facility inspectors. In addition, the bedding material itself and/or coverings for that bedding, such as seam thread and padding, has been removed by the inmates to make contraband items or weapons.
It has also been found that some inmates tend to abuse the bedding to a much greater degree than other users normally would, thereby significantly decreasing its usable life. For example, penetration of the bedding by the inmate""s bodily fluids inadvertently or otherwise can cause unsanitary conditions and destructive rot to exist inside of the bedding, as well as increase the required instances of cleaning for the bedding exterior. Nonetheless, when such bedding is removed for security or disciplinary reasons or deteriorates to an unserviceable state, even allegedly at the inmate""s own hand, the denial of proper bedding has been the source of expensive and time consuming litigation against the correctional facility by the inmate, regardless of the outcome of the litigation.
In other applications, articles have been suggested which employ an integrated mattress and pillow, particularly for recreational use on or about water, which are formed of compressible foam or a heat sealed bladder. In the former structures, however, air ventilation within the article and about the foam with fluid restriction at the same time has been lacking. In the latter structures, incidental punctures have rendered the article unusable.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved bedding arrangement. Other objects include the provision of a bedding arrangement that is:
a. durable and relatively inexpensive to manufacture and maintain;
b. convenient to clean, sanitize and inventory;
c. less susceptible to misuse and abuse;
d. comfortable and properly supportive of the user during rest; and
e. more resistant to contamination.
These and other objects of the present invention are attained by the provision of a bedding arrangement having a compressible foam mattress pad and compressible foam pillow pad integrated as a single bedding unit within a fluid resistant or impermeable cover whose seams are heat sealed together. Air ventilation through the cover and about the interior foam is permitted by a vent that restricts insect, article and fluid passage through the vent. By using foam of different densities and/or composition, optimum performance characteristics in terms of comfort and support can be obtained separately for the mattress portion and the pillow portion. By mounting two pillow pads within the cover, the bedding arrangement can be made reversible.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will now be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from the following drawings and description of preferred embodiments.